People use data processing systems for many different purposes. Some types of data processing systems (e.g., “smartphones”) are typically used by a single person. Other types of data processing systems may have multiple users. For instance, two roommates may share a personal computer, or a whole family may share a tablet computer (“tablet”). When multiple users share a data processing system, however, the data processing system may easily get cluttered with content that interests one of the users but not the other user or users.
A conventional data processing system may require that a different user account be created for each different user, and users may be required to sign in with credentials (e.g., a user identifier (“userid”) and a password) before the data processing system will allow access to any content. Such a data processing system may maintain a different user profile for each different user account. A user profile may include a collection of data items for personalizing the data processing system for the associated user. For instance, a user profile may include many different kinds of configuration settings for the user, including settings that have been manually created and/or configured by the user, and settings that have been automatically created and/or configured by the data processing system. The user profile may also identify which content items are available to the user.
In one example usage scenario, a mother, Mary, acquires a conventional tablet to be used by herself, her husband, Joe, her son, Ned, and her daughter, Amy. Mary may intend for the tablet to be frequently used by different members of the family. For instance, Mary may intend for the tablet to be used more like a television than a smartphone. However, if Mary creates a different user account for each member of the family, it may be difficult or impossible for the users to perform some kinds of actions with the tablet. For example, it may be difficult for one user to share content with all of the other users.
On the other hand, if Mary creates only a single user account to be shared by all four users (or if the tablet does not allow for the creation of user accounts), the tablet is likely to get cluttered with content, as indicated above. It may also be difficult or impossible to protect any of the content from any individual user or users. In addition, if one of the users changes the password for the shared user account, the other users could get locked out.
Mary might also create five different user accounts, with four of the accounts assigned to individuals, and with one of the accounts to be shared by all four users. (E.g., Mary might create accounts with the following userids: Mary, Joe, Ned, Amy, and Shared.) However, that type of configuration could also present numerous difficulties and disadvantages, as described in greater detail below. Furthermore, there may be times when Mary would like to use the tablet with Ned and Amy, but not with Joe, making the shared user account an inappropriate choice.
Another challenge associated with some multi-user and single user data processing systems pertains to the large number of applications that may be loaded into a data processing system, and the difficulty of finding a shortcut to any particular application when desired. For example, some platforms simply list all applications in alphabetical order. Other platforms may provide a list of recently used applications.
Additional challenges are associated with functions like sending content or other information from one device to another. Conventional devices address some, but not all, of those challenges. For instance, a conventional smartphone allows a user to share contact information from an address book with another smartphone. Also, a conventional smartphone allows a user to share other types of information with another smartphone via near field communication (NFC) technology. But with NFC technology, the communicating devices must be touching or very close to each other—typically within four centimeters. Other existing methods for sharing contact information and/or other types of information are provided by technologies such as short message service (SMS), the social networking services known as “LinkedIn” and “FaceBook,” devices that run on the operating system known as “Android,” the file format referred to as “vCard,” and one or more services provided over the Internet by Google, Inc (“Google”). For instance, Facebook and Google provide contact synchronization mechanism for mobile phones. Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) patent application serial number PCT/US11/68068, entitled “Mobile Device Position Detection,” describes techniques for transmitting information from a first device to a second device based on user input related to the relative position of the first device with respect to the second device.